MODAKEKE: The Town I Call Home

For almost a year, I have been living in Modakeke. Before that time, it was just a name, a name with so much story, bad reputation and bad history attached. But now, it is simply home. It’s a home that accepts everyone, regardless of who you are, where you’ve been and where you’re from.

Modakeke is a very peaceful town. After a great conflict that inflicted great damages to the town in terms of life and property, it is now one of the most peaceful towns in Ife. (The indigenes of Modakeke will never accept that they are under Ife. That, in fact, was the cause of the conflict. But then, as far as the map is concerned, Modakeke is a town under Ife.)

First, A Little Background Story

I’m not a rich guy, but I was once staying in one of the coolest areas for students in Ife. An area simply called Ede Road. (The coolest place is Parakin but we’re not talking about that.) Well, some how, I invested my rent money in an endeavour that didn’t yield any return. I mean, I lost all of my money. I had to find a cheap apartment and I had to do it quick.

I called a friend and he suggested I move to Modakeke. I was like “What?” From the stories, I believed people only visited Modakeke for three reasons: Illicit Sex, Drinking and Smoking Weed. Of course, I wasn’t going to move to such an area. Well, my pocket thought otherwise and I soon found an apartment in Modakeke - a very cheap one.

Brown Roofs

As you can see in the picture above, the area is filled with old houses. Some of the houses are made of mud. Well, there are a few good houses too but majority of the houses are slum-like. (The kind of houses you find in slums). Of course, this makes it an ideal hideout for lowlifes.

Anyway, I discovered that the area isn't so bad after all. I mean, I’ve met many responsible folks here. Of course, the drinking and smoking exists, but it is confined to some areas. Due to the school’s policy of reducing occupants in the universality hostels, more students are moving to Modakeke is search for cheep accommodation.

Brown roofs or not, everyone just wants a peaceful place to lay their head - and Modakeke offers that to many, at an affordable rate too.

The Conflict

My friend told me that Modakeke wasn’t always like this. At some point, it was a thriving town with plenty of music and active night-life. There are several small businesses too and the town was on a steady growth. Then, there was a conflict with Modakeke and Ife (A ‘neighbouring’ city where my school, Obafemi Awolowo University is located.) The conflict devastated both towns. Fortunately, Ife was able to recover quickly as it had tertiary institutions, banks and eateries that helped restart the economy. Modakeke is still nursing her wounds, many years later.

You can read up on the conflicts here and here.

Despite all of that Modakeke is still my home; but not for long though. My rent expires in May. By that time, I should have returned to more opulent areas.

This is my entry for the Tell us a story of your city! “A City a story” photo weekly contest by @aaronli .

Thanks for reading

Blessings.

[Image source: My Tecno Spark K7. Images taken today 26/04/2018 from my apartment.]